Aarón Sánchez is an award-winning chef, TV personality, cookbook author and philanthropist. He is the chef/partner of Johnny Sánchez restaurants, with locations in New Orleans and Baltimore, and is the costar of Food Network’s hit series, Chopped and Chopped Junior. One of the world’s most distinguished Latin chefs, Aarón is passionate about preserving his family’s legacy through food and encouraging diversity in the kitchen.

Celebrated by both critics and contemporaries, Aarón has won a James Beard award for Television Studio Program (2014) and was the host of the Emmy-nominated Cooking Channel series, Taco Trip. In the summer of 2016, Aarón will appear as a recurring guest judge on Fox’s MasterChef and MasterChef Junior. He has starred in multiple Food Network shows including Guilty Pleasures, Best. Ever, Heat Seekers, Chefs vs. City, Best Thing I Ever Ate and Next Iron Chef. Additionally, Aarón is the host of two Spanish-language shows on Fox Life, 3 Minutos con Aarón and MOTOCHEFS. A third generation cookbook author, Aarón has written two books. His first, La Comida del Barrio was published in May 2003 and his second, Simple Food, Big Flavor: Unforgettable Mexican-Inspired Recipes from My Kitchen to Yours was released in October 2011. Aarón has also designed a line of authentic, Latin-inspired cookware products and kitchen accessories in collaboration with IMUSA, and is a spokesperson for their Global Kitchen line.

Aarón works with many charitable organizations. He is a Chef Ambassador for WhyHunger and Food Bank NYC, both leaders in the movement to end hunger and poverty. He is also a Chef Mentor for Chefs Move!, a scholarship program whose mission is to diversify kitchen leadership by providing minority applicants the opportunity to train and become leaders in restaurant kitchens and in their communities. Aarón’s creativity extends beyond the kitchen. He is a partner at Daredevil Tattoo in NYC, a world famous tattoo shop and museum. He is an avid music lover and enjoys cooking to the sounds of Alabama Shakes, Amos Lee, Lenny Kravitz and The Cure. He has a son, Yuma, and lives in New Orleans, LA.